This year will mark the first year I get to instruct a Pit.

Now, I would like to know, maybe basic Techniques for Beginners. Nobody playing in the pit has any experience. And I have no pit experience either. So in reality, anything will help!

I would like professional suggestions as much as I would like students to tell me how they would want their Pit instructor to Teach.

Anything and Everything is accepted. I'm really starting from the ground on this one!

Thank you,

Alyn.

ok first you need to look inside yourself. What things come to mind that you liked or hated about a certain leader? Apply the things you liked and try to ditch the rest. There will be a time that you will have to step it up and possible do some things that might seem harsh but just keep in mind that we are all looking for perfection out of our ensembles. And when dealing with high school boys and girls they might not understand what that means. Dealing with them, and their parents needs to be smooth yet firm - its one thing to change something that your employer, bd or captions head, wants.... it's something different to fold under the pressures of a student or parent.

But the opposite is also true. Don't piss off the band parents. they will be your strongest allie against their own kids and if ever it can to it the b.d. or c.h. plus if they are like mine they might even give you x-mas presents and candy!!

Teach what you know. I think a big problem out there today is that a lot of tech teach what they wished they knew. If you don't like what's in your bag of tricks go get some. Spend time online, in books, in leasons, at school. Find out what way works for you and then and only then can you expect your kids to learn it. Trust me if you can do this you will be way ahead of a lot of groups. Plus if you dig it, chances are your somewhat goulible students will too!

Just..... DO NOT LIVE VICARIOUSLY

Have fun, don't get burnt out doing more than you know how. You'll be fine!!


Good Luck, Let me know if there is anything i can do for you in the future!

order "Up Front" from Tapspace, it's an awesome resource and has technique for every instrument and some good exercises as well as a multitude of other information. You should read it and have all the players read the parts that pertain to the instrument they play. It's written by Jim Casella and Jim Ancona

I would also recommend taking percussion lessons from the local university percussion professor of your chose and contacting them. I'm not sure of your "total percussion" expertise, but it wouldn't hurt to seek their advice. The one thing to remember is that the front ensemble has evolved into it's own mini-percussion ensemble throughout the years.


Are your responsibilities also arranging show music and/or warm-ups? I suggest becoming familiar with percussion ensemble literature from composers like Edgard Varese, John Cage, Lou Harrison, ,Karlheinz Stockhausen, Xenakis, Phillip Glass, and Steve Reich...to peices like Paschal Dances (David Gillingham), Portico (Tom Gauger) , Limerick Daydreams (Nathan Daughtrey) or even Trio per Uno (Nebojsa Zivkovic) and music from groups like Nexus, The Kroumata Ensemble, Ethos Percussion Group, Maelstorm perc. group , McCormick per. group, Absolute Percussion, Via Nova, Britian Moore Duo ,Caixa Trio, Marassa Duo, Global Percussion Network, Global Percussion Trio to help distinguish timbre possibilities/instrumentation, help with compositional ideas, ect. You should check out Vic Firth's Concert Percussion Podcast for some more insight. http://www.vicfirth.com/podcasts/concert.html Realize that even though you are presenting a marching percussion show, that you'll have to think outside of the marching percussion idiom.

I'd also recommend brushing up on your maintance skills and becoming familar with electronics. http://glassmen.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=240&Itemid=121

As stated before, "Upfront" is a great resource. I just barely scraped the service. I haven't mentioned the actual teaching/organizing, rehearsal edicate, listening environment, staging and other stuff (which is covered in Upfront). Just some things to think about and get the ball rolling

If the local university professor is unavailable I am sure some of the students there would love to teach and sometimes pretty cheap too.
"Up Front" is definately one of the best books that I have read for Pit instruction and just knowning what everything is. I love it and it is worth the dough.
Warmups can be tricky, I would suggest going to a corps or indoor line website and just checking some of their exercises there, I also recommend the fact that if you know the music that you guys will be playing to base your warmups around that.

Hope this helps

Hey man just teach them how you play. That's what you know best right? and if you don't play then look up some videos from DCI front ensembles.

Go watch Regiment for a more concert approach.
Go watch Bloopit if you want to play with some balls.

Just find an approach that you agree with and feels good for you. Then teach it.

The best thing I can tell you is that you need to get familiar with a technique. Because if you haven't found out the difficulties or tendencies of that certain technique then you definitely can't begin to teach it. Best advice I have is just to start playing the style that you want to teach!

Now if your potentially training them for DCI... You need to go over major, harmonic, melodic, natural minor, all 7 modes (Yes! dorian, phrygian, locrian etc), blues scales, whole tone series. Make sure to teach stephens. Not too many programs are using burton anymore. Consistency of sound, hitting the middle of the bars, ensemble awareness, listening points in the pit (when to listen to the center or timpani or drum set).

It just all depends on where you want your ensemble to go!

Good luck man. Hope this helps

Well, the whole me teaching the pit thing fell through. The band director at the school lost his mind. On several things of which I shouldnt mention. =]

But some good news, I'm on the Front Ensemble for Impulse, so I will get some first hand experience!

Thank you all for responding. Next year i hope to actually take on teaching a pit. =]

Hey man congrats on Impulse! Your going to have a blast this summer

haha thanks. I have a feeling it will be the most amazing summer of my life. But not my last. =]